


Resurrection

by Desera



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Romance, Use of profanities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-03-07 00:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3154559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desera/pseuds/Desera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a strange world we live in. Manic demigods wanting to take over the world, angry science nerds creating shrink rays to take bullying asshats down a peg or two but screwing it up so there's an entire football team of 20 foot beefcakes running around Harlem, giant bunnies romping down midtown, and did you know that a group of bunnies is called a fluffle? Heh. Anyway, it really is a strange world we live in, but nothing compares to this masterpiece of pure fuckery. So gather round kiddies and let uncle Clint share with you a story of bravery, loyalty, idiocy (Stark), the blatant over-use of puppy dog eyes (Steve), and one of the most epic love stories that ever existed if I do say so myself (suck it Tin Head).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dead Man Talking

_Sir, it’s currently 06.55, the temperature is a cool 69 degrees and Agent Coulson requests your presence in the recreational room on the Avenger's floor._

“Unnnng, smh-ffffh guh” is the sound that emits from the lump buried under a mound of blankets.

A soft whooshing noise fills the room, the mechanical blinds give a soft whir as they open to let in the pre-dawn light.

Tony’s sleep-rumpled head appears from the pile of blankets.

“Did you just sigh at me J?” he questions whilst blearily blinking at the barely visible New York skyline.

“And what did daddy say about seeing the light of day before noon?!”

_As the sun has yet to rise I do believe that that statement is not yet accurate…Sir._

“Are you SASSING me?! At ass-o’clock in the morning?!”

_I wouldn’t dream of it Sir. All of the Avengers have gathered in the rec room, Agent Coulson has asked me to inform you that if you do not make an appearance within the next five minutes he will be sending Agent Romanov to retrieve you, and Agent Romanov has permission to use any means necessary._

The latter half of Jarvis’ sentence is proved redundant as Tony springs out of bed as soon as the Widow’s name is mentioned.

After pulling on a sweatshirt that had been lying on the floor he slowly ambles his way down the corridor and into the lift.

“Hit it J.”

Twenty seconds later the doors open on Avenger’s floor to reveal the rest of the team standing at various points around the room, glaring at the man standing at the floor-length windows, his profile silhouetted against the rapidly brightening sky beyond.

“Woah, what’s going on guys? It’s like walking into a brick wall of tension here. And where’s the coffee? Steve? Steve, where’s the coffee? I need some coffee. Now. I need coffee now.”

During Tony’s little tirade the entire team has turned to stare at him, all except Clint whose glare hasn’t moved from the figure.

Four faces stare at Tony with various looks of incredulousness and disbelief.

Tony, fortunately, doesn’t seem to notice. He’s half way to the kitchen, ‘cause what kind of human being can function at this God-forsaken hour without caffeine, when someone finally speaks.

“Tony!” screeches Steve. That makes Tony pause. Did Captain America really just screech at him?! Honestly, his voice totally went up an entire octave there.

“Um…what?” is his genius reply, ‘cause really, he’s one of the smartest people on this planet, heck on any planet, but c’mon! Coffee!

Steve’s gaze slants back over to the figure and then back to Tony before slanting back to the figure and finally sliding on over back to Tony.

Tony’s eyebrows rise.

His eyes follow the path of Steve’s.

“Иисус,” mutters Natasha, “are you really that dense Stark?”

At this point Tony is really beginning to question the sanity of his fellow teammates, aren’t these people responsible for the fate and safety of mankind?

Tony looks at each of them in turn, he meets everyone’s gaze except for Clint’s, who’s still staring at the man standing at the window.

After sweeping the room he finally allows his eyes to settle on the man.

Seven seconds later his eyes widen dramatically, if the room hadn’t been rife with tension it would have been comical.

“AGENT! What are- who are- when did- WHAT?! Aren’t you dead? As in D-E-A-D dead?!”

“No Stark, I’m very much alive. I need your help. All of your help.” Agent Phillip J. Coulson replied, standing very much alive in the middle of Avenger’s Tower.

“Fuck you” is the immediate response from Clint.

Coulson pinches his nose, takes a deep breath.

“I realize that I have a lot of explaining to do but I need you all to trust me right now when I say that my reappearing here is the absolute least of our worries.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure Agent” is Natasha’s icy reply.

A shiver runs down Tony’s spine, that woman could make the biggest, toughest, most testosterone-filled man in the entire world crumple and whimper like a little girl with just one sentence.

“What could you possibly need our help with Agent Coulson? What could be so damned important that you can easily disregard your apparent return from the dead?” questions Bruce, his breathing even and slow, an obvious attempt to remain calm lest the Big Guy make an unscheduled appearance.

Coulson’s gaze lands directly on Steve, unwavering, he speaks three words.

“The Winter Soldier.”


	2. Breathe

It’s quiet. The air in the room feels oppressive, like the tension has solidified and is closing in around them.

 

No one says a word, it almost seems as if the six people standing in the room are holding their breath, waiting for a shift, a change, something that will give them the go-ahead to react to the words Coulson has just spoken.

 

All eyes are on Steve, even Clint has ceased his glaring so that he can watch his teammate for a reaction.

 

A deep breath, and then, an exhale.

 

“Okay. The Winter Solider. Bucky Barnes. James “Buchanan” Barnes. Buck. Cap’s best friend. Soviet spy. The guy that’s been giving Cap the run around for the last six months. Is that the guy you’re taking about Agent?”

 

It may be a little known fact that Anthony Edward Stark has issues with awkward situations. Read ‘issues’ as ‘cannot stand them and will do anything to remove himself from one’. So of course it’s him that attempts to break the unbearable tension that has been ever-present in the Avenger’s rec room.

 

Steve still hasn’t even blinked, it’s actually impressive to be honest.

 

Everyone is looking at Tony again and really, he hopes JARVIS is recording this because once this mess is over he thinks that they’ll all get a great laugh from watching this moment.

 

“Yes Stark, that Winter Solider,” Agent replies. If there’s a barely discernable hint of impatience running through his tone, well, who can blame him? Being brought back from the dead really takes it out of a guy.

 

“What do you need?” As soon as the words are out of Steve’s mouth it feels as if the air has been returned to the room. People shift subtly, breaths are expelled, and Coulson’s shoulders relax fractionally.

 

“He’s been spotted at several locations around the DC area. We believe he’s actively hunting HYDRA cells and taking them out,” Coulson’s voice is steady, even if he can feel Natasha and Clint staring at him, almost like a physical weight trying to press him into the glass behind him.

 

“And what? You want us to stop him? ‘Cause in all honesty that seems like a great public service right there,” Steve slants his gaze sideways, meeting Tony’s eyes in obvious agreement with his statement.

 

“Of course not,” if Coulson was a lesser man he might even have scoffed this, “I want you to join him. HYDRA has existed for far too long. As Director of SHEILD I would like to coordinate every possible resource we have so that we can finally bring an end to their existence. A very permanent end.”

 

“I’m sorry, the Director of what now? Surely you didn’t say SHIELD because that would be mir-fucking-aculous being that SHIELD no longer exists. Am I right Nat? Or have I been dreaming for the past six months?” Coulson closes his eyes lest the venom in Clint’s words become corporal and blind him.

 

A deep sigh, “I’m fully aware that I’m currently giving you all the information overload to rival all others but I need you to stay with me here. Time is of the essence. We’ve been charting his movements and have had a very brief sighting near the Anacostia River in DC. We want to be in position to intercept him and I believe that that would go so much smoother with your presence Captain.

 

“I can assure you that we have no plans to harm him. Sergeant Barnes has had far more success eliminating HYDRA bases than we have and by teaming up we may be able to completely wipe them off the face of the earth by the end of this year.”

 

“Four months. You’re saying you want us to somehow convince the Winter Solider to work with us, figure out how to work him into our team, somehow extract the whereabouts of these cells, destroy said cells, all the while trying to de-program 70 years of creepy solider-spy brainwashing and all in the compact time of four months?” To say there was a hint of incredulousness in Tony’s voice is an understatement.

 

“Oh, and not to mention doing it all whilst a member of our team is off-world. Could Thor have picked a better time to bring his lady friend home to meet the family? Heimdall! If you’re watching tell Thor we need his Godly ass back here on earth!”

 

A very small, barely discernable smile appears on Steve’s face. Leave it to Tony to take something so huge, so frightening, and bring a touch of humor to it.

 

“Yes,” Coulson speaks this one word with conviction, as if there isn’t a single doubt in his mind that they can pull this off. “Once we have Sergeant Barnes firmly on our side I’ll explain everything in greater detail, nothing held back, I swear it.”

 

Steve meets Natasha’s stare head on. He receives a barely perceivable nod. Clint shrugs his shoulders, almost as if to say ‘why the Hell not?’ Bruce is still breathing deeply, in through his nose, out through his mouth. His gaze lifts from the floor and focuses on Steve.  The corners of his lips quirk up.

 

Steve turns fully to face Tony.

 

A soft smile flits across his face. “Of course Cap,” he murmurs.

 

Steve returns the smile, if his eyes soften at the edges too well, who’s going to call him on it now?

 

“Okay Agent Coulson. But we do this my way. Bucky’s been through so much, I don’t want him to feel as if we’re bearing down on him. You knew I’d be on board no matter what but it seems you’ve got every one of us here behind you.”

 

“No Steve, we’re behind you,” Natasha speaks softly but the affection in her tone is clear for everyone to hear.

 

Tony smiles, wide and clear.

 

“Great. Group hug everyone. Everyone except Agent of course. No? Okay. Glad that’s all sorted out. Now, for the next pressing issue, who wants to go on a coffee run?”


	3. Sharing is Caring

Thankfully there was time to grab a quick cup of coffee after suiting up. Well, Tony may have grabbed the equivalent of three cups in what has to be the biggest to-go mug ever created.

 

Now attired in a pair of worn jeans and a soft looking cashmere sweater he’s seated at the back of the Quinjet with his suit folded into its suitcase resting by his feet.

 

Clint’s voice is heard from the cockpit, “Any chance of you sharing your loot there Stark?”

 

Tony’s response is the curl his body around his precious mug and glare at the back of the archer’s head.

 

“I think that’s a no Clint,” Steve speaks up from his seat across from Tony.

 

“Be careful drinking that Stark, you wouldn’t want the jet to suddenly lurch mid-sip,” there’s a split second where Tony seems to be torn by deciding between lobbing the mug at Clint’s head or keeping his much coveted mug to himself.

 

“If you’re quite done?” The dry tone of Coulson’s voice implies that he’s ready to begin the mission brief.

 

“Did you hear something Nat? Sounds like someone speaking from beyond the grave,” Natasha gives Clint a biting glare. Yes she may be beyond pissed with their old handler but focusing on the mission is their number one priority. It is always their number one priority.

 

Although Clint is concentrating on flying the jet he can feel her gaze boring into the side of his head from her position in the co-pilot seat. It’s one of her many talents.

 

“Sorry Nat,” he mummers.

 

She reaches over and briefly rests her hand on his shoulder. She must be going soft, the old Nat would have never shown such emotion in public. Well that was before Budapest. The events of that mission would be enough to soften even the toughest of hardened hearts.

 

“Go ahead Director,” she aims at the back of jet. Her gaze meets Bruce’s for a moment, he gives her a soft smile, she returns it briefly before righting herself in her chair.

 

“Sergeant Barnes was spotted on the corner of 5th and K Street, four blocks over from the Navy yard. By the time our agent had positioned her camera to take a picture he had disappeared.”

 

“Well then how do you know it was definitely him Agent?” The derision in Tony’s tone does nothing to help ease the tight set of Steve’s shoulders.

 

After glancing at him and seeing that he’s obviously adding to his friend’s distress he immediately slumps down into his seat and lifts his mug to his mouth.

 

Steve has seen the movement out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head to Tony, cocks his head to the side slightly and makes sure that Tony meets his gaze.

 

The silence continues for about ten seconds, “Are they doing their creepy talking to one another through their eyes thing?”

 

A soft whack is heard throughout the cabin, “Ah Nat! Don’t hit the pilot, never hit the pilot!”

 

Steve gives a soft smile and tears his gaze away from Tony, if his cheek are dusted a light pink then well, it’s dim in the cabin, it could just be a trick of the artificial light.

 

Tony has straightened again and raises his mug in the direction of Coulson as if to say ‘go ahead, I’ll be good’.

 

“To answer your question Stark the agent saw a glint at the juncture where Sergeant Barnes’ sleeve met his gloves on the left arm. That, along with the long, raggedly hair that wasn’t quite covered by a baseball cap gave us a good indication that it was him.

 

“It also helps that he wasn’t wearing sunglasses. Our facial recognition software matched him to the image on file.”

 

Of course Tony has to bite his tongue at this, is the suit really trying to sass him? After he had footed the bill for his funeral so that SHIELD wouldn’t just dump him in a ditch somewhere, or whatever they do with their agents. Ungrateful ass.

 

“We had been monitoring the area due to a discrepancy that we found when we were reviewing planning permits and land deeds belonging to the old SHIELD.

 

We suspect a HYDRA base is located somewhere along the banks of the Potomac River.”

 

“If that’s the only sighting you’ve had of Bucky he could be long gone by now,” Although Steve hates to speak that possibility out loud it does need to be said.

 

“There hasn’t been any suspicious activity in the area. We believe that Sergeant Barnes won’t leave the area before his mission is complete. “

 

The response is both disheartening and encouraging.

 

On the one hand it means that they may actually stand a chance of catching up to Bucky this time. On the other it makes it seem as if Bucky is still enthralled in the Winter Solider persona.

 

The Bucky Steve knows would have made it a priority to seek him out in order to make sure he hadn’t come to any harm during their lengthy separation.

 

Although Steve can admit, if only to himself, that it isn’t much of a surprise. 70 years of brainwashing isn’t a simple thing to shake off. All he can hope is that there’s a glimmer of recognition when he comes face to face with him. Once he can convince Bucky to come home then it’ll all be fine. It has to be. Failing is not an option because if that happens well then he’d have lost his best friend for the second time.

 

No. There’s not a single chance that this won’t work. The thought of leaving his friend to the nightmarish Hell he’s been subjected to for nearly the past seven decades is something that has kept him up many nights in the last six months.

 

Steve takes a deep breath. A strange calm rushes over him. This is it. He won’t fail. He won’t let Bucky fall from his grasp ever again. By the end of today he’ll have Bucky safely ensconced in Avenger’s Tower and then they can begin to rescue his mind.

 

A mug appears in his field of vision. He follows the arm to its owner and meets Tony’s eyes.

 

“Want some Cap?”

 

Steve can’t help the soft smile that appears on his face. Tony is a born fixer. Microwave broken? Tony will have it repaired in 20 minutes. Wii remote hurtled through the flat screen TV by an overeager Thor? Tony will have it replaced by lunchtime.  If Natasha’s cat suit doesn’t offer her enough protection? Tony will, honest to God, pull out a sewing kit, settle on the floor of the rec room and add a soft, pliant mesh that he’s spent all night creating to the interior that will guarantee his teammate’s safety.

 

Now? Now he offers Steve some of his precious coffee as a small show of comfort.

 

Steve smiles. He reaches out and wraps his hand around Tony’s on the mug. He brings it to his lips, takes a deep pull, swallows and smiles.

 

Tony’s gaze is focused on his lips but he blinks owlishly and smiles back.

 

“Thanks Tony.”

 

“Anytime Cap, anytime.”

 

Steve looks back at Coulson who seems a mite uncomfortable if the subtle shifting is any indication.

 

“Okay Director. What’s the plan?”


	4. Phil Coulson is a dick

Jesus Christ what a terrible fucking plan. They should have known. When the plan comes from the man that thought going up against a centuries old God with nothing more than some untested new tech then something is bound to go wrong. Clint has never more wished that his pessimistic opinion had been wrong.

Of course he's thinking all of this whilst lying on a hospital bed, staring up at an unnaturally white ceiling while maintaining his deep, even breaths so as to not wake Nat up. He figures he deserves at least 30 minutes to himself to process the shit storm that was today. And it's not like Nat is pacing the floor, worried that he'll never regain consciousness. She's asleep for God's sake! Fine! 15 minutes. He'll take 15 minutes to work this all out and then he'll wake her.

What on earth is the name of that ceiling design?! You know the one that looks like it has little tiny bubbles on it? What's it called? Bumping? Puffing? Popping? No no, that's not right...popcorning! That's what it's called! Popcorning! Whoever designed the medical floor in Avenger's tower needs glasses, bleugh.

Okay, now that that's out of the way let's rehash the day's events shall we? Fucking Coulson and his God-awful plans!

***

"No, absolutely not. No. Just no."

"So is that a maybe then Cap?" Steve cuts his glare from Agent Coulson to meet Tony's eyes, which quickly lower under the weight of that stare. Okay, so maybe now is not the time to joke.

"Captain Rogers I can assure you that I have given all of the possible outcomes due consideration and this is the one most likely to work." Coulson has got his placating tone well in place. His face is almost completely smoothed out, not one hint of an expression to be seen.

'I wonder if he had some work done while dead', the thought flits through Tony's mind, quickly followed by the trajectory calculations required if one, let's say Tony, were to dropkick an object, let's pretend the object is a suit-wearing not-dead jackass, straight out of the back of a quinjet. Where might one need to place one's foot in order to achieve optimum projection?

Steve lets out a sigh. "Let me get this straight Coulson," Steve says while pinching the bridge of his nose, "you want us to follow Bucky, wait until he's in a secluded location and ambush him. Knock him out. Kidnap him. Restrain him. Remove his arm. His arm Coulson! And then somehow set about trying to convince him that we want to help him and that he should divulge all of his secrets in order to wipe out Hydra. Is that right Director?"

The amount of scorn in Steve's voice fills Tony's chest with the warm and fuzzies. Obviously he's not enjoying seeing Steve in pain but the fact that he's sticking it to the Director of Shield makes him mighty proud.

"When you put it like that Captain it sound deplorable but you have to agree that Seargent Barnes is a highly-skilled and extremely dangerous individual, especially when you consider the fact that we don't know what state of mind he's in." Coulson's tone doesn't even twitch throughout his rebuke.

'Definitely had some work done' Tony can't help but conclude.

"Again I'll repeat, no." Steve is doing the frowny face thing, he definitely means business. Clint turns to face them having handed the jet over to the autopilot.

"I have to agree Director, as the only other member of the 'Jesus Christ someone invaded my mind and made me do bad shit' club I reckon I get like, at least, seven votes. So I say no. Knocking Barnes out and removing a body part, and what the fuck is up with that?, will definitely not endear him to us." The amount of ice in Clint's tone sends a small shiver down Bruce's spine.

The usually easy-going archer has on bitch-face number three, the one that clearly says 'Yes I may have spend last night watch Little House on the Prairie and crying when Mary went blind but don't forget I'm also one of the world's deadliest assassins and I can take you the fuck out'.

Even the Hulk wouldn't interfere with that.

"What do you suggest Agent Barton?"

Clint turns back around to face the controls, obviously prolonged eye contact with Coulson will not be on the cards for quite some time. Or at least until the urge to punch his face in has subsided by like at least 90 per cent.

"Well Director I suggest we wait until Barnes is as far removed from civilian interaction as possible and then we approach him. And I don't mean all of us. And not Steve, no offence Cap but we don't want to set him on edge right now and we don't know how he'd react to you. Bruce I think you should sit this one out as well." Clint briefly turns his head to meet Bruce's gaze.

A soft quirk of his lips shows he means no offence and Bruce can't help but smile back, there's no way he'd volunteer to go face to face with the world's deadliest assassin in such a highly populated area. He's not really feeling a Code Green today, he's wearing the deep purple sweater that magically showed up on his bed one day two weeks ago.

When he caught Natasha's soft smile the first time she saw him wearing it he couldn't get rid of his blush for a full hour.

"Nat is probably out too. With our luck he probably remembers their history. Plus I don't trust her not to shoot him for ruining her perfect bikini body." He instinctively hunches his shoulders for the smack that Nat delivers not one second later. He throws a wink her way.

"We could send Tony but I think we'd have a better chance just sending Dum-E in. No offence Stark."

"You know what birdbrain? None taken. This is too important and while I have endless charm I highly doubt we want to end this day with Bucky either A- in my bed or B- signing over the one point five per cent of SI shares he owns. So yeah, count me out of this on Legolas."

"Hold on, Bucky owns a percentage of SI shares?" Steve has a wonderfully incredulous look on his face. "How is that possible? We all thought he died in the Alps!" And if his voice hitches just a bit on this statement none of his teammates would ever mention it.

"I dunno what to tell you Cap. The old man left one point five to Barnes and three point five per cent to you. Either he was nostalgic and didn't want to accept you had both died or he knew something no one else did. Since SI has been controlling them it's never been an issue. Bucky has a bank account, same as yours, that has his earnings since dad took over the company." Tony shrugs as if it's not a big deal.

"What?! I own three point five per cent of Stark Industries?!" Today is really taking it's toll on poor Steve it seems.

"Um yeah. Remember the like fifty folders Pep sent to your floor Cap?" Tony is favouring Steve with his 'I am such a genius, how do I put up with you feeble minded folk' expression. It's one of his favourites really.

"Well yeah, but I thought that stuff was to do with my past. Like status reports on the Commandos or my old things or something. I haven't been in the mood to go through it all y'know?" And hello, there's that Brooklyn accent. It's so sad that it's impeded by Cap's defeated tone.

"Not at all Cap, we'll go through it all whenever we sort this all out okay?" Tony shoots him a dazzling smile, causing Steve to return a slightly more demure version.

"Great! Now that that's settled shall we discuss how I should convince the world's deadliest assassin that he should come home with me without the use of alcohol?" Although Steve and Tony's interaction had lasted less than one minute it's obvious Clint was starting to feel the weight of the responsibility he had just saddled himself with through the process of elimination.

"God you're right Clint, of course," Steve apologised earnestly, "you're right, you're probably the safest bet we have."

Coulson sighed, the first solid sign of emotion from the man since he walked back into their lives less than two hours ago.

"Okay Agent Barton we'll do this your way but let me make it very clear that you are not to engage the target in any way other than what we are about to pre-approve. I'm allowing this on the condition that you remain in sight at all times and if the target becomes hostile you do whatever necessary to remand him. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal Director. I have no problem following all of those conditions, but only if you promise me something?"

Coulson visibly softens just a tad. "What is it Clint?"

"Go fuck yourself Phil."

Well. In hindsight that probably wasn't the smartest thing to say but the last bit about doing 'whatever necessary' to remand Barnes really just grated on his damn nerves.

Of course if he had listened to Coulson and remained in sight of his team he wouldn't have ended the day in a hospital bed staring at a popcorned ceiling and wondering why he was such a dumbass sometimes. Man his foot is itchy. But if he scratches it his movements will wake up Nat. That woman could hear a pin drop in her sleep. Except for the occasions when there has been tequila involved, there's no waking her then lest you want to her wrath, and trust Clint, you most certainly do not.

Anyway, where was he? Oh yes, he had just told Coulson to go fuck himself.


	5. Who's fucking plan was this anyway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse...

Phil rolls his eyes up to the ceiling of the quinjet as if looking for divine intervention.

"As soon as this is done Agent Barton you and I are going to sit down and have a very long discussion."

'Well shit,' thinks Clint, 'the amount contempt in that sentence would lower a weaker man to bended knee.

Well there's an awkward silence. Best keep the snarky shit to himself until Barnes is safely on-side.

"Yes Sir." 

The double glance Coulson gives him is nearly worth his obedience. The grateful smile Steve throws him is completely.

"Sooo...the plan? You know, the plan to get the Buckster squirrelled away in a lavish room in my big ugly tower? The plan to create a reuniting moment so beautiful between the Captain and his childhood best friend that Lifetime Movies will be beating Hallmark to death in order to obtain the rights? That plan guys. As in, what is it?" 

Ah Tony, you can always count on Tony to beat any awkward silences into submission. Well that or he makes it 73% worse but it seems to be working in this instance. Good aul Tony.

"I think I should go alone. Everyone else should remain on the jet." Sounds of opposition immediately start up.

"Jeeze guys wait! Lemme explain." Everyone quietens down, though Steve has his mouth slightly open, as if a word is just waiting to escape, and Natasha's hand looks awfully straight, as if it's preparing to reach out and smack the back of his head.

Clint shuffles to the right, putting him ever so slightly out of Natasha's striking range. Aaaand she shifts with him, brilliant.

"If you all were to provide aerial back-up he'd spot you. If you were sequestered on the roof of some building he'd spot you. You may as well be doing the hokey-cokey down the middle of the road for all the good it'd do you. 

By going alone he knows we're not threatening him. It may make him less likely to run...or attack."

Ah the silence, he nearly missed it.

"Alright Birdbrain, we get what you're saying but that plan has too many risks, and this is coming from the biggest risk-taker on this team so that's saying something."

"Tony's right, we ha-"

"Thank's Steve!"

"You're welcome Tony," is directed at Tony, as well as an adorable smile that absolutely does not make Clint want to squee and punch a wall. Tony's answering smile is not cute at all. It isn't. Whatever.

"As I was saying, we have to implement some sort of rescue contingency. If things go South Clint we're going to need to extract you ASAP. JARVIS, what's the weather like in DC at the moment?"

_It is currently 94 degrees Fahrenheit and cloudy with a 64% chance of rain Captain Rogers._

"Thanks JARVIS."

_No problem Sir. ___

And there's Tony beaming again. Whenever someone actually thanks JARVIS for his help he can't stop from showing his pleasure at the gesture. It's almost like he doesn't know that the entire team are aware that JARVIS is one of Tony's kids. 

"Here's what we'll do: Tony will provide aerial support unseen. He'll remain in the clouds. Bucky shouldn't spot him. 

Natasha will remain on-board with Bruce and Agent Coulson." 

"And where will you be oh Captain, my Captain?" Aaaand they're flirting again. Could someone just take Clint's bow and give him a swift smack with it? Please? Thank you. 

"I'll be on the ground, I'll make sure to stay out of his line of sight at all times." 

Tony opens his mouth, seems to reconsider, and shuts it again. Each one of them knew that if they didn't succeed in bringing Barnes back with them today Steve wouldn't be returning either. When it comes down to it none of them could really fault him for his decision. 

"Go up Steve. I'll put you on one of the higher buildings in the area. You'll have good sights and hopefully he won't be too concerned with someone watching him once he knows it's you. And of course he'll know it's you, no one could miss that spangly outfit, even a 95-year-old geriatric with a terrible hair cut." 

"Thanks Tony." 

"No problem Cap." 

Agents Barton and Romanov, you may wish to return to the cockpit, estimated time of arrival is four minutes. 

Clint can't help put spread his arms and aim a massive grin at his teammates. 

"Thanks JARVIS. So that's that sorted. What could possibly go wrong?" 

Fucking everything, that's what. 


End file.
